STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3151

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 2774

H.D. 2

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 2774, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LOCAL AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to modify certain benchmark goals and timelines for the Department of Education (Department) to purchase a certain amount of fresh local agricultural products and local value-added, processed, agricultural, or food products.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture, Department of Education, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Ulupono Initiative, Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute, and three individuals.

Your Committees find that there are discrepancies between the locally-sourced food benchmarks for the Department of Education and those of other state entities that purchase agricultural products. According to testimony received by your Committees, this measure will help the Department's School Food Services Branch streamline and standardize reporting obligations regarding the status of the Department's progress in meeting local farm-to-school meal cost goals. This measure clarifies that the Department's specific percentage target goals shall be thirty percent by year 2030, thirty-four percent by year 2040, forty-two percent by year 2045, and fifty percent by year 2050.

Your Committees have amended this measure by inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2774, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2774, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Education,

________________________________ MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair

________________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair